Update Feb. 25

Students are working on their rhetorical analysis essays of Huckleberry Finn. We discussed rhetorical strategies typically associated with satire or which are predominant in the novel:

1. irony
1. verbal irony--irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.
1. understatement--a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is
2. dramatic irony--irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters.
3. situational irony--irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
2. juxtaposition or parallel scenes/characters/situations
3. exaggeration
1. caricature--where particular aspects of a character are exaggerated to create a silly or comic effect, often the follies of an individual or a stereotype are amplified for critical examination
4. parody-- an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect
5. allusion--a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers, but relies on the reader's familiarity to "fill in" the unstated significance of the reference.
6. symbolism

Homework: Continue working on your essay outline. We moved the due date for the first draft from Thursday to Friday this week.